Abstract :
A chocolate flavored probiotic ice cream was made from goat’s milk using a probiotic bacterial
culture comprising Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis
BB-12, and novel probiotic Propionibacterium jensenii 702, and stored in three different
packaging materials: polypropylene, polyethylene and glass. In order to assess the quality
of the product, viability of the probiotic bacteria, the physico-chemical properties and
sensory characteristics of the product in the different packaging materials were measured
during storage. The freezing process during manufacturing of the ice cream was associated
with a reduction in viable cell number, however the viable numbers of all probiotics
remained 107 to 108 cfu g−1 up to 52 weeks at −20 ◦C regardless of the type of packaging.
Packaging materials had a significant influence on the complete melting time of ice cream,
and with the melting quality of the product as identified by the tasting panel, one week
after production. The influence of packaging was not apparent in relation to other physicochemical
properties and sensory attributes of the product, while variation in certain sensory
properties such as body and texture and taste of the product was apparent after 12 weeks
storage.
